Draft-gear.



J. F. O'CONNOR.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, m5.

Patented June 5, 1917.

3.5 4 4/ WITNESS nvmvron.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM H. MINER, OF CHAZY, NEW YORK.

DRAFT-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1am.

Application filed September 2, 1915. Serial No. 48,589.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. OCoNNoR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Draft-Gears, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specifica'lion.

This invention relates to improvements in draft gears.

An object of the invention is to provide a draft gear of the friction type designed more particularly to meet the special requirements as a shock absorber between a locomotive and its tender.

Another object of the invention is to'pro vide a friction draft gear which is under a high initial compression closely approximating the tractive power of a locomotive, and having a releaseof high capacity.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a friction draft gear so arranged that the frictional resistance during a predetermined portion of the travel of the gear remains substantially constant and thereafter, during the actuation of the gear, the frictional resistance is increased.

The invention, furthermore, consists in the improvements in the parts and devices and in the novel combinations of the parts and devices herein shown, described or claimed.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of adjacent portions of a locomotive and its tender, showing my improvement in connection therewith. Fig. 2 .is an enlarged sectional View of the improved gear, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In said drawing, 10 denotes the tender and 11 a portion ofthe locomotive, the gap between the two being bridged by'the usual pivoted floor plate 12. The gear A is mounted on the tender beneath the floor thereof, said gear abutting at its rear end, a rigid casting 13 suitably riveted to the underframe of the tender. The gear is supported by means of a saddle plate 14 and tie plate 15. The locomotive is provided with a chafe casting 16 having a rounded face 17, which bears against the wedge of the friction gear,

said chafe casting being attached to the locomotive by means of a pin 18 which passes through arms 19-19 of said casting and at one end and a slot 23 at its other end to accommodate the pin 24.

The gear A, as shown, comprises a friction cylinder 25 and a substantially rectangular spring cage 26, the latter having a rear wall 27 formed integrally therewith. Mounted within the spring cage are twin arranged. springs 2828, the latter having their forward ends seating against a follower 29, the latter being limited in its forward movement by an annular shoulder 30, formed at the inner end of the cylinder 25. Cooperable with the friction cylinder 25 are friction shoes 31, the latter having interposed therebetween a wedge 32, a plurality of anti-friction rollers 33, being located between the wedging faces of the shoes and wedge. Located between the inner ends of the friction shoes 31 and the follower 29, is a supplemental spring follower 34:. The follower 34: has an inturned annular flange 35 at its inner endwhich is seated in a correspondingly shaped recess 36 in the front face of the follower 29. The follower 34.- is slidably mounted within the cylinder and at its outerend is provided with an outturned annular flange 37 which, on sufficient inward movement of the friction elements, engages and is limited in its movement by an inturned annular flange 38.1ocated at the inner end of the friction cylinder. Interposed between the spring follower 34 and the inwardly extending shoulders 39 on the shoes is a preliminary spring 40, which is maintained under an initial compression. As

turned annular flange 37 of the preliminary spring follower 34 is normally spaced from both the inner ends of the friction shoes and the annular flange 38. In practice, the

distance between the annular flange 37 and Upon pressure being applied to the vwedge 32, the shoes and wedge, spring 40, and followers 34 and 29 will move inwardly substantially" as a unit. The spring 40 being under an initial compression, a substantially constant frictional resistance will be afforded to the movement of the shoes and wedges until the flange 37 engages with the flange 38. During this movement, all the moving parts are, of course, resisted by the heavy springs 2828. After the first inch and a half inward movement of the parts, that is, until the flange 37 engages the flange 38, the supplemental follower 34 will be prevented from further inward movement, and as the shoes and wedge continue their inward movement for the next inch, the frictional resistance will be greatly augmented as the spring 40 is compressed. Simultaneously with the increase of the frictional resistance during the last inch movement of the shoes and wedge, the wedge 32 will be resisted in its movements by the springs 28-28. Upon release, the heavy springs 28-28 will act directly through the follower 29 and plunger 41 on the wedge 32, thereby relieving the outward pressure on the friction shoes. As the pressure on the shoes is released, the latter will move outwardly under the expansion of the spring 40, and

finally the follower 29 will engage the follower 34, and the outward movement of all the parts will be continued until the same assume the normal, position best indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

' Although I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred embodiment of my improvements, I am aware that changes and modifications may be made in the'details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I contemplate all such changes and modifications as come Within the scope of.the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A friction gear comprising, in combination, a friction shell, friction shoes oooperable therewith,a wedge, a main spring, a spring follower, located between said shoes and sa1d main spring, a thrust member interposed between said wedge and said follower, and a preliminary spring interposed between said shoes and said follower.

2. A friction gear comprising, in combination, a friction shell, friction shoes cooperabl therewith, a wedge, a main spring, a follower, a thrust member interposed between said wedge and said follower, and

sition of the perable therewith, a Wedge, a main spring,

a spring follower, a preliminary spring between sald shoes and sa1d follower, and a 'supplemental follower movable with said first named follower duringa portion of the operation of the gear, and means for arrest.- ing the movement of said supplemental follower prior to the full movement of the gear. 1

4. A friction gear comprising, in combination, a friction shell, friction shoes cooperable therewith, a wedge, a main spring, a preliminary spring acting directly against of said preliminary'spring acts directly, said preliminary spring being under an initial compression, and means for limiting the movement of said follower after a partial actuation of the gear.

'5. A friction gear comprising, in combination, a friction shell, friction shoes and a wedge cooperable therewith,main springs at the rear of said shell, a follower for said springs, a preliminary spring interposed between said follower and said shoes, the for ward end of said preliminary spring'di- 100 rectly engaging said, shoes, sa id preliminary spring being under an initial compression, and a plunger interposed between and engaging both'said follower and said wedge.

6. A friction gear comprising, in com- 105 bination, a friction shell, friction shoes and a wedge cooperable therewith, main springs at the rear of said shell, a followed for said springs, a preliminary spring interposed between said follower and Said shoes and 110 under an initial compression, and a plunger interposed between said follower and said wedge, said plunger beingin contact with the wedge and follower both in normal pothereof.

said shoes, a follower against which one end parts and during actuation 7. A friction gear comprising, in combination, a friction shell, friction shoes and a wedge cooperable therewith, twin arranged main springs at the rear of said 12o shoes, a spring follower at the front ends of said springs, a supplemental follower located on the forward side of said spring follower and slidable relatively to said shell,

a plunger extending between said main movable in unison during the first portion master of the actuation of the gear, the supplemental followembeing prevented from move ment during the last portion of the actuation of the gear.

8. A friction gear comprising, in' combination, a friction shell, friction shoes and a being prevented from moven ent during the last portion of the actuation of the gear,

said preliminary spring being under an initial compression.

9. A friction gear comprising, in combination, a friction shell, friction shoes cooperable therewith, a wedge, a main spring, a preliminary spring located between said shoes and said main spring, said wedge,

shoes and preliminary spring all moving bodily during preliminary action of the gear, and means for arresting the movement of the end of the reliminary spring remote from the shoes a or a predetermined preliminary actuation of the gear.

In wltness that I claim the foregoing I- have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of July, 1915. v

JOHN F. UCQNNOR. 

